This invention relates to the utilization of solar energy and in particular to an improved solar collector for use in a solar heating and cooling system.
In recent years the escalating costs of fossil fuels and the worldwide realization that the supply of such fuels is not unlimited has resulted in more attention being given to alternate sources of energy including solar energy. Accordingly, there have been numerous recent proposals, in addition to the many previous proposals, for an improved solar collector.
For example, Reynolds Metals Company, of Richmond, Va., 23261, proposed (in an article appearing on pages 61 and 62 of the March 1976 issue of Modern Metals) a solar collector which employs a cover assembly provided with a top flexible cover sheet made of a polymeric material which is held on a structural frame by a retaining frame. A solar collector employing such a cover sheet is desirable for numerous reasons including reduced costs thereof.
However, a cover sheet as proposed in the above-mentioned article usually wrinkles and sags after even limited usage making it susceptible to wind-induced flutter whereby the life of such a cover sheet is substantially reduced with wind flutter. In addition, wrinkles in such a cover sheet may result in certain rays of the sun being deflected from the collector thereby reducing its efficiency. Further, a sagging cover sheet reduces the height of the air space between such cover sheet and another sheet usually provided between the cover sheet and collector whereby the thermal insulating properties of such reduced height air space are also substantially reduced. Finally, a sagging or wrinkled cover sheet results in a poor appearance which may tend to reduce the marketability of the collector using same.
It will also be noted that the solar collector proposed in the above-mentioned article utilizes a comparatively expensive peripheral supporting structure. In addition, the support means for the heat exchanger requires more parts all serving to increase the cost of the solar collector. Also, the support means for the heat exchanger disclosed in such article results in such heat exchanger being disposed in other than the optimum manner of parallel to the cover sheet thereof.